Sions



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Y H. H. SESSIONS.

GAR BRAKE. T No. 447,911. Patented Mar. 10, 1891.

(N0 Model 4 Sheets s 2' SESSIONS, GAR BRAKE.

Patented Mar. 10,1891.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. H. SESSIONS. GAR BRAKE.

No. 447,911. I Patented Ma r. 10,1891.

I r l Hm2 Wn (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4* H. H. SESSIONS. GAR BRAKE Patented Mar. 10,1891.

4 NITE STAT S ATENT rr' cn.

HENRY I'IOIVARD SESSIONS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR TO THE PULLMANS PALACE CAR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-BRAK E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,911, dated March 10, 1891.

Application filed April 15, 1890- Serial No. 348,038. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY IIOWARD Sus- SIONS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in car-brakes wherein the brake-shoes are carriedin a position parallel to the trackrail and slightly elevated above them when not in use, and are adapted to be raised and lowered by means of toggle-arms or levers operated by the expansion of air in a workingcylinder. In the preferred construction I employ a brake-shoe at each side of the truck, and as accessories thereto a central air-reservoir in which air is compressed bymeans of a pump-cylinder whose piston is reciprocated by gearing from the axle, and means, preferably under control of the attendant on the car, whereby the pumping of air in said cylinder may be effected at desired intervals, the gearing being so arranged that the throw of the lever will start the pump to work or stop it again. In another constructionI make the air-reservoir small in proportion to the capacity of the pump and use the air therein simply as a cushion to the pump, the latter being operated only as the car is approaching a state of rest and being utilized to force the air directly into the working-cylinders.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a plan view of the truck with sills thereon to support the car-body and to which my improved brake mechanism is applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3, a transverse sectional elevation on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow 3. Fig. 4is an elevation, partly in section showing the pump-cylinder and a valve-controlled pipe leading therefrom, a part of the gearing being shown in elevation. Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, showing one of the brakeshoes supported upon itstoggle-arms and showing their connection to the working-cylinders; and Fig. 6-is atransverse sectional elevation on the line 6 (3 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrow 6. Fig. 7 is a plan view showing an alternative arrangement and construction of the air-reservoir.

this cylinder is reciprocated by means of a gear-connection to its piston-rod 10.

11 is a sprocket-wheel mounted on a bracket-arm 12. The sprocket-Wheel 11 bears on the side thereof a wrist-pin 13, and over this pin one end of the rod 10 is sleeved. On the axle 2 is mounted a second sprocket-wheel 14, and the 1ink-belt 15 is carried over both of said sprocket-wheels.

16 is a sliding clutch splined on the axle 2,

and 17 a clutch-lever pivoted at 18 on a fixed part of the car. In the construction shown this lever is carried forward beneath the front platform of the car and then extended upwardly, and bears against a coiled spring 18, which surrounds a pin 19,having a fixed head 20 for confining the opposite end of the spring.

The spring Will be so arranged that the attendant, by pressing upon a vertical extension of the clutch-lever, will move the clutch in engagement with the hub. of the sprocket-wheel on the axle 2,which hub will carry the clutch member, so that the rotation of the axle will cause the reciprocation of the piston and the forcing of air into the air-reservoir 5.

21 represents branch pipes for delivering the air from the air-reservoir to the working-cylinders 22. These pipes 21 connect to a pipe 21, and a three-way valve'will be located at the junction and operated by means of the valve-stem 23, which for convenience is connected by the rods 24; to a trip or lever on the car-platform, so that the attendant may by a pull on either of these rods so set the valve as to permit the air from the reservoir 5 to pass by way of branch pipes 21 into the cylinders 22.

Referring now to Fig. 5,it will be seen that the cylinders 22 contain two oppositely-working pistons 24, and that the branch pipes 21 deliver the air between their opposing faces, so as to cause their movement away from each other. The cylinders 22 have open heads, and the piston-rods 25 project out and are connected to the pivot of a pair of toggle-levers 27 28. The upper ends of the levers 27 are pivoted to a fixed part of the car, and the lower ends of the arms 28 are pivotally connected with the brake-head 2!), which has shoulders 30, sliding in the guides 31. These guides are formed by a casting having a recess therein, in which is seated coiled springs 32, carrying blocks 33, against which blocks the extended ends of the piston-rods have a bearing. These blocks will be of a length to provide a bearing for the ends of said rods during their movement in the arc of a circle while the toggle-arms are being straightened out, and the engaging ends of said rods will preferably be curved, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. 34: is abrake-shoe carried by the head 29, and this shoe will be maintained at only a slight distance above the rail.

The operation of the device is as follows: Supposing the reservoir 5 to contain air under sufficient pressure that its expansion, when allowed to flow into the space between the ends of the pistons in the working-cylinder,will drive said pistons apartand straighten the toggle-arms, thus causing the descent of the brake-head and the impingement of the brake-shoes upon the rail. If, now, the valve controlling the branch pipes 21 be turned as to cutoff the supply of compressed air and an escape-port of usual construction be opened in the workingcylinders to allow the compressed air to exhaust, the springs 32 will, havingbeen compressed in the opposite movements of the pistons, force said pistons back to their original position,and in so doing lift the brake-shoe from the track by the instrumentality of the toggle-levers.

In the construction shown iii-Fig. 7 the airreservoir is made small in proportion to the capacity of the pump, and instead of utilizing the air therefromv to drive the pistons of the working-cylinder the air contained therein is used to cushion the strokes of the pump. The latter in this case is put to working when the motive power for the car is stopped, and the revolution which the axle will make before the car comes to rest will cause the pump to force the air into the working-cylinders to operate the brake. In this construction also, instead of using the three-way valve at the junction of the branch pipes, I leave the passage from the air-reservoir 5 open and employ the small pipe 35, which communicates at one end with the reservoir, and is conducted thence to the vicinity of the platform, where it is provided with a valve, and is thence returned to the T of the branch pipes 21. The valve at the platform puts the air under control of the attendant the same as in the case where the three-way valve and extended operating-rods are employed. In this construction the attendant will start the pump after the motive power has been stopped, and the pump will bya few strokes force the air into the \vorking-cylinders between the pistons and apply the brake.

This device is particularly applicable to street-cars, because the brake can be applied by either the driver or conductor of the car from either platform and by either without the use of the hands. The brake may also be readily adapted to freight and passenger cars, and may be operated by steam instead of air when the motive power of the train is a locomotive. The cylinders may be charged in the same manner as in the usual air-brake system, or the reservoir may be omitted and the brakes operated by steam-power directly from the boiler.

I do not limit my invention to the detailed construction, as it is evident that variations may be made in the structural features without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. In a brake mechanism, the combination of a working-cylinder having a pair of oppositely-working pistons and open ends through which the piston-rods project, togglearms to which the piston-rods are connected, and the brake-head pivotally connected to said toggle-arms and supported thereby in a position substantially parallel to the trackrails, said cylinders having a supply-pipe for the admission of a fluid under pressure between the opposing faces of the pistons, substantially as described.

2. In a brake mechanism, the combination of a working-cylinder having a pair of oppositely-working pistons and open ends through which the piston-rods project, togglearms to which the piston-rods are connected, and the brake-head pivotally connected to said toggle-arms and supported thereby in a position substantially parallel to the trackrails, said cylinder having a supply-pipe for the admission of a fluid under pressure between the opposing faces of the piston, and springs adapted to return said pistons, substantially as described.

3. In a brake mechanism, the combination of a pair of working-cylinders supported on opposite sides of the truck, said cylinders having therein working-pistons whose pistonrods project beyond the cylinder ends, to,,- gle-arms to which said rods are pivotally connected, and a brake-head supported by said arms in a position substantially parallel to the track-rail, said cylinders having supplypipes whereby to delivera fluid under pressure between the opposing faces of said pistons, substantially as described.

4. In a brake mechanism, the combination of a reservoir to contain a motor-fluid under pressure, branch pipes to deliver said fluid from the reservoir to working-cylinders mounted upon opposite sides of the truckframe, said cylinders having oppositely-working pistons therein, and open ends through which the piston-rods project, said rods being pivotally connected to toggle-arms and brakeand brake-heads supported by said togglearms, and a valve controlling the passage to said deliverypipes, said valve being connected to and adapted to be operated by rods or levers extending to the oar-platform, substantially as described.

HENRY HOYVARD SESSIONS.

Witnesses:

O. O. LINTHIOUM, FREDERICK O. GOODWIN. 

